Florida vacation rental regulation bill clears Senate, moves to House

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCJB/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - A bill that will place stricter regulations on vacation rentals in Florida is headed to the House after clearing the Senate.

Communities across Florida are trying to get a handle on vacation rental properties as sites like Airbnb and Vrbo become more popular.

The biggest issues are parking, noise and trash.

“My constituents want to know why it’s allowed in their neighborhood,” Sen. Jason Pizzo, (D) Sunny Isles Beach, said.

Counties and cities across the state, mainly coastal destinations, are placing restrictions on these rentals because state law said they can’t ban them to solve the problem.

As of December, Bay County rentals now have to go through a registration process and must have someone available to respond to emergencies.

However, that could change if the bill the Senate passed Thursday becomes law.

“We have a state interest to lay out a uniform set of regulations so there is some sort of predictability,” Sen. Nick DiCeglie, (R) Indian Rocks Beach, said. “There’s predictability for my neighbors. There’s predictability for the property owner.”

State Senator Nick DiCeglie’s proposal takes away some of the local control, stating the bill is about property rights.

“I fully recognize that every jurisdiction is unique and different,” DiCeglie said. “But I also recognize some of these local governments are pushing that envelope and violating these property rights.”

On the other side of the argument, Senator Jason Pizzo says the state needs to look at the larger picture and treat these properties similar to hotels.

“You can’t think of these things standing in a vacuum,” Pizzo said. “A hotel wouldn’t put up for 15 minutes, the loitering, the lingering, and drunkenness, drugs. "

The bill will now go to the House, where it is expected to see some changes.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.